The Next Generation of Fast Capitalism (June 15, 2010)

full name / name of organization:

Fast Capitalism

contact email:

ljacobs@uta.edu or wilton.wright@mavs.uta.edu

Special Issue - Call for Papers: Next Generation edition of Fast Capitalism

Fast Capitalism is a journal devoted to analyzing the impact of information and communication technologies on self, society and culture in the 21st century. It bridges the social sciences and the humanities and welcomes both disciplinary and interdisciplinary work. Because there is such an interesting body of work being pursued by graduate students and post-docs in the College of Liberal Arts and strong scholars doing strong work that pushes the academy forward, this issue seeks to highlight some of this work and offer a unique opportunity to focus on the newest members of the academy. This special issue seeks to engage critically with the intersections of self, society, and culture, particularly in terms of the speed, connectivity, and density of 21st century life.

Fast capitalism challenges notions of the modern and postmodern where traditional social institutions like work and family, education and entertainment, have blurred and fused in an accelerated, post-Fordist stage of capitalism. With new, faster, and greater numbers of mobile technology emerging every day, boundaries between the many segments of our lives seemingly disappear or break down entirely. But these invasive technologies that tether us to capital and control can also work to resist these tendencies. Through our mobile and active connections we create a public sphere where individuals and groups can express and enlighten, collaborate and organize; parents can manage their families and nurture children from the job site and on the road, challenging notions of public and private, and redefining traditional gender roles; knowledge once privileged within the confines of higher education has never been more free, more plentiful, or more available; information technologies afford connection, mitigate isolation, and even make way for social movements.

We invite contributions on these and related issues. Suggested topics include:
• 21st century daily life, the home, family, and/or children
• Internet and/or social media and politics, politicians, campaigns, or government
• The culture industry, play, and/or leisure in the information age
• 21st century capital, labor, work, law, etc.
• Cities, built environments and nature, theories of space and ecocriticism in an increasingly mobile and connected world
• Issues of gender, race, and/or social class in a mobile and accelerated world
• The changing face of education, the academy, and/or the public intellectual
• Critical pedagogy and the promise of democratic education in the information age
• Marxist explorations of social media
• Identity politics and issues of hybridity in social/mobile media contexts
• Globalization and the spread of technology
• Media studies, cultural studies and philosophy of fast capitalism issues
• Re-readings and reviews of social theory and its contributors
• Theoretical approaches to any of the above
• Pragmatic applications of any of the above
• Visual or interactive explorations of any of the above

Articles between 1,500 - 8,000 words are welcome, as are alternative format submissions such as commentaries, reviews, audio, visual and digital contributions. Outlines and works in progress are also welcome. Please include a short bio. Send submissions for the special issue to ljacobs@uta.edu with the subject “Next Generation Submission.”